Day 171: We now resume our regularly scheduled programming, and by that I mean "no more April Fools' jokes."
Frequently and easily mistaken for a moss, Usnea longissima is one of the most elegant members of the lichen family. Also known as Methuselah's Beard, this Usnea grows in strands which may reach lengths of nine feet, and drapes over branches like a tinsel Christmas swag. Like the lung lichens, Usnea longissima is a good indicator of air quality since it is highly sensitive to pollutants. Seen here growing on Red Alder along the Rainey Creek trail, Methuselah's Beard is abundant at the east end of Riffe Lake.
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